Pedro Ximénez, the sweetest sherry type, is a heavy-hitter in cocktails; its sun-drenched raisin flavor tends to dominate less-assertive ingredients. Katie Rose at Milwaukee’s Goodkind uses it with a deft skill in Call It A Night, perfectly balancing the sweetness against oaky bourbon, sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica, if you’ve got it), and a hint of herbaceousness from little drabs of amaro and absinthe.
Rye in place of bourbon is fine if that’s what you’ve got, but keep in mind that it will be a little less sweet, and the peppery flavors of rye will bring out the herbal flavors a bit more. The sweet sherry should really only be Pedro Ximénez; even cream sherry isn’t sweet or full-bodied enough to hack it here. As for the amaro, Rose uses Averna, a standard-issue, middle-of-the-road amaro – any amaro you’ve got will work as long as it isn’t marked by any particularly strong flavors.
